Deputy PM, FM highlights significance of Party chief’s tour to Indonesia, Singapore and ASEAN Secretariat

This is the first visit by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee to Indonesia in nearly 8 eight years, to Singapore after nearly 13 years.

The tour carries historic significance as Viet Nam elevated ties to comprehensive strategic partnership with both Indonesia and Singapore, thus deepening cooperation with the two nations and making effective contributions to ASEAN family, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son told reporters following the tour.

To date, Viet Nam is the only comprehensive strategic partner of Indonesia and Singapore in ASEAN.

This is also the first official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee, reflecting the strategic importance of ASEAN for Viet Nam and Viet Nam's consistent policy to make more proactive and responsibile contributions to the ASEAN's common course.

For Indonesia, President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno laid foundation for the traditional friendship between the two countries. Both nations share many common historical and cultural similarities, values and common development vision of striving to become high-income countries by 2045 when both sides mark the 100th founding anniversary of the two nations.

The two sides lifted up bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership; agreed to continue to further deepening political trust and soon formulate an action plan to implement the newly-established partnership framework

The two sides agreed to deepen economic cooperation, strive to soon realize the trade goal of US$18 billion, promote defense and security cooperation, enhance cooperation in new fronts such as green economy, digital economy, innovation, energy transition, development of electric vehicle ecosystem, digital payment, science and technology, artificial intelligence among others.

The two sides also agreed to foster people-to-people exchanges, especially between the youth.

For the ASEAN Secretariat, To's official visit is a clear evidence of the importance of ASEAN in Viet Nam's foreign policy. It also affirms Viet Nam's commitment to make proactive and responsible contributions to the ASEAN Community process, particularly when ASEAN is on the threshold of a new development stage.

The visit also affirms that ASEAN will cotninue to be the top priority in Viet Nam's foreign policy in the new era.

For Singapore, To's visit took place in the context that the bilateral ties are developing well after more than 50 years of diplomatic relations. Senior leaders of the two countries reaffirmed they attach importance and give high priority to deepening the friendship and trust and enriching the contents of bilateral cooperation.

Geneeral Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong agreed to elevated the two countries' ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership to inject new momentum to bilateral cooperation across all fields.

Both sides agreed to strengthen political trust, expand and deepen economic, trade and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in digital transformation, innovation, green economy and clean enery, enhance cooperation in defense and security, culture, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

The two sides also agreed to expand the network of the Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks towards innovation, low-carbon emissions, strengthen cooperation in digital transformation and emerging technologies, and promote cultural and sports exhanges in a bid to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between people of the two countries.

General Secretary To Lam and leaders of Indonesia, Singapore and the ASEAN Secretariat engaged in open and frank discussions on regional and international issues, and agreed to intensify coordination at regional and international fora and work with other ASEAN Member States in promoting the building of the ASEAN Community.

General Secretary To Lam's tour has contributed to consolidating the solidarity and central role of ASEAN in the regional architecture. Indonesia and Singapore, as the founding members of ASEAN and the most developed economies in the region, are major partners playing important role in maintaining ASEAN's cohesion against external challenges.

The tour provided Viet Nam with an opportunity to share development experience with Indonesia and Singapore – the two top economies in the region.

Following the tour, the immediate task is to soon concretize the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership with Indonesia and Singapore by formulating action plans to implement this framework, said Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.

Relevant ministries and agencies need to build concrete cooperation plans to promote cooperation in traditional areas while expanding cooperation in new fields such as green economy, innovation, science and technology, digital transformation, green energy among others.

Viet Nam should work with Indonesia and Singapore to periodically review and ensure effective implementation of cooperation plans and programs.

For ASEAN, Viet Nam should continue to promote its proactive and responsible role and work with other ASEAN Member States to consolidate solidarity, self-resilience and central role of ASEAN; to deepen regional connectivity process by effectively implementing cooperation frameworks, including the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and promoting Viet Nam's initiatives, including the ASEAN Future Forum./.